I was saddened today after calling the District of Kent to enquire if they would be lowering their flag to half-mast to honour the three members of the RCMP that lost their lives while on duty serving the people of Canada. The response I received was that the District of Kent had no policy and if there was something I wished to forward to the district for future consideration with respect to policy making to feel free to forward it to council.
My personal understanding of half-masting of national flags is a well-established procedure whereby countries bestow an honour and express a collective sense of sorrow. Given that such flags are recognized as paramount symbols of their nations, the act of half-masting is a dramatic visual statement that speaks to the sense of loss that is shared by all their citizens. Mandatory Half-masting from the time of notification of death until sunset on the day of the funeral or the memorial service.
I can not understand why the District of Kent fails to recognize the collective sense of sorrow or the sense of loss that is shared by the citizens of this country.
Lorne Knechtel
Agassiz, B.C.
Editor's Note: The District of Kent lowered their flag to half-mast on Friday afternoon.